West Brom vs Aston Villa preview, team news, kick-off, prediction

Team news and stats ahead of West Brom vs Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday; kick-off 7.15pm.

Team news

Sam Allardyce will be without Matheus Pereira for his first match in charge of West Brom at home to Aston Villa.

Brazilian winger Pereira completes a three-match ban following his red card against Crystal Palace earlier this month.

Kyle Bartley (calf), Conor Townsend (knee), Sam Field (knee) and Hal Robson-Kanu (arm) are still out injured.

• Sam Allardyce at West Brom: Will 'survival blueprint' work?

Douglas Luiz and Matty Cash will be available for Aston Villa's trip to The Hawthorns after serving their suspensions.

The duo missed Thursday's 0-0 draw with Burnley while Ezri Konsa also sat out due to illness and will be assessed ahead of Sunday.

Ross Barkley is closing in on a return from his hamstring injury, although may not be risked, and Trezeguet is sidelined with his own hamstring problem with Wesley (knee) also out until next year.

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Jones Knows prediction

When you need a bounce factor, no-one boings like Big Sam. He might just be the perfect man for the Baggies.

Backing him to make an instant impact could be a shrewd move too.

On the three occasions when Allardyce's first game in charge of a club has been at home, he's won every match, without conceding too.

• Will Big Sam's 'survival blueprint' work again?

And to stretch that out a little further, in his first home game as a new boss in the Premier League at Bolton, Newcastle, Blackburn, Sunderland, West Ham, Crystal Palace and Everton he's conceded just twice in seven games. Despite just having three days to get the Baggies players organised, I'm confident he'll make them hard to beat.

And, Villa arrive here on a bit of a downer.

Since Ross Barkley limped off in the early stages of the defeat at Brighton, Villa have lost their edge and ability to create high probability chances. Including the Brighton defeat, Villa have scored just three goals in the four matches without Barkley, taking just four points from a possible 12. With him they average 2.5 goals per game without it's just 0.7.

I think Jack Grealish is missing his buddy too. Both are good mates off the pitch and that relationship is mirrored on it. Although still seeing plenty of the ball and looking a threat, Grealish has failed to have a shot on target in three of the four games without Barkley and has failed to register an assist without his mate on the pitch. I'm sure Big Sam will have a plan for him.

West Brom to win without conceding is a very juicy 6/1.

JONES KNOWS PREDICTS: 1-0 (11/1 with Sky Bet)

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• West Brom are unbeaten in their last eight home games against Aston Villa in all competitions (W3 D5), since a 1-2 Premier League loss in September 2008.
• Aston Villa have lost two of their last four Premier League meetings with West Brom (W1 D1), as many as they had in their first 16 against them in the competition (W6 D8). This is the first top-flight meeting between the sides since a goalless draw in January 2016.
• In the Premier League, West Brom have lost their final league match before Christmas in each of their last four campaigns between 2014/15 and 2017/18.
• Aston Villa have won their final league match before Christmas in just one of their last nine seasons (D3 L5) and haven't done so in the top flight since beating West Brom in December 2010.
• After netting five goals in their first three Premier League games this season (D1 L2), West Brom have scored just five in their subsequent 10 in the competition (W1 D3 L6), and never more than once in a match in that run.
• Aston Villa have won away from home against one newly promoted team this season, beating Fulham 3-0. They haven't won two away games against newly promoted teams in a Premier League season since 2008/09, when one of those wins was against West Brom (also vs Hull).
• Aston Villa have won four of their five away games in the Premier League this season (L1), as many as they had in their previous 42 on the road in the competition (W4 D8 L30). Indeed, the Villans already have more away points this season (12) than they managed in the whole of last term (11).
• West Brom have the lowest expected goals (xG) total in the Premier League this season (7.5). Their record of 0.6 xG per game in the Premier League this season is a stark contrast to their 1.7 in the Championship last season, the second highest in the division.
• West Brom are the only side yet to score a headed goal in the Premier League this season, while almost a quarter of their goals conceded so far have been headers (6/26 - 23%).
• Sam Allardyce has taken charge of more different clubs in the Premier League than any other manager, while West Brom will be his eighth different managerial role in the competition. Allardyce has only lost his first Premier League game in charge of a team on one occasion (W5 D1 L1), losing with Sunderland in October 2015 (0-1 v West Brom).

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